Congress Alley in Worcester spruces up its image

WORCESTER 
Congress Alley is a short dirt and rock path on Crown Hill that, in the 1960s and '70s, was viewed by locals as Worcester's mini-version of San Francisco's infamous Haight-Ashbury neighborhood.

It was the place where young poets, writers and musicians — the “flower children” produced by the social upheaval of the times — gathered in the nearby low-rent housing to craft their songs, words and art.

Guitar music flowed from the flats and the smell of marijuana smoke wafted about.

Abbie Hoffman, the city native who founded the national hippie movement, was a frequent visitor and Orpheus, the local rock and folk band that once shared show billing with the likes of The Who, Janis Joplin and Led Zeppelin, was so enamored of the well-worn pedestrian way that members named a song after it.

Now, there's some talk by neighbors of cleaning up the area and creating a “walk of fame” that would recognize prominent artists and writers with Worcester ties.

Congress Alley is just one of the unpolished historic gems that's hidden in the newly established Crown Hill Local Historic District.

The district, which is made up of 40 acres generally bounded by Pleasant, Newbury, Austin, and Chatham and Clinton streets, is an oasis of sorts that's composed of slivers of inner-city neighborhoods that lie just a few blocks west of the bustling Worcester Common area.

It's a physically eclectic place that includes single-family homes, large apartment complexes, emergency shelters, churches, ethnic mom and pop businesses and a bar.

What binds the divergent pieces together is the desire of those living and working there to stay true to the historic character and roots of the area.

Nearly half of the neighborhood's properties are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

“People who live here really care about their neighborhood,” said Elizabeth Mullaney, who moved 30 years ago from the more suburbanized Newton Square to Congress Street, one of the narrow roads in the district that evokes Dickensian memories of cobblestone streets lined with gas-fueled lamp lights.

It took residents four years of hard work before their neighborhood was formally designated by officials this spring as a local historic place.

The neighborhood's transformation began in the 1970s, when architect John Herron and his wife, Frances, saw the area's potential and moved from tony Massachusetts Avenue to Oxford Street. Other well-to-do professionals from the West Side soon followed.

A small “pocket park” at Chatham and Crown streets that's owned by Preservation Worcester is named after the couple.

Crown Hill's history underwent a dramatic impact in the 1970s, when Worcester's industrial fortunes began to wane.

The area became shabbier and drew a transient population, many of whom were addicted to drugs and alcohol.

However, residents like the Herrons joined forces with the Worcester Heritage Society, the organization of Preservation Worcester, to persuade the city to invest community development funds to stem the tide of the neighborhood's decline.

The renovation work resulted, in 1976, in the placement of Crown Hill's core on the National Register of Historic Places. The federal historic district was slightly expanded in 1980.

But as more and more structures became renovated and as the renaissance continued to pick up steam, neighbors lobbied to have their home designated a local historic district.

Such areas began to be established in Massachusetts in 1955, the first being Nantucket and Boston's Beacon Hill.

Since then, 200 have been created. In Worcester, the Massachusetts Avenue and Montvale Road areas carry the designation.

Districts are founded to preserve and protect the distinctive characteristics of historic structures and to encourage the construction of new buildings that are compatible with the historical designs and nature of existing ones.

Local historic districts are closely regulated by special boards, with some property owners needing special permission to do work on their landmark structures.

However, the rules generally aren't as stringent for non-historical buildings in the district.

In Worcester, each historic district has a member serving on the Worcester Historical Commission, the local regulatory board.

Proponents said the strict governmental overview is worth it, given that a historic district usually boosts the values of properties located within it.

Crown Hill district advocates feared opposition, since a large number of properties in the area need substantial work.

However, no formal objections were raised at any of the numerous hearings held on the proposal.

In fact, one property owner went out of his way to have his Austin Street building located in the district.

Still, residents believe a number of issues have to be hashed out before the Historical Commission, among them the proliferation of TV satellite dishes.

The Crown Hill district, which contains a large number of 19th century structures, is home to the largest concentration of Greek Revival homes. About 35 percent of houses in the neighborhood are built in that style.

The district also has a number of houses fashioned in the Classical Revival, Gothic Revival, Italiante and Second Empire styles.

Crown Hill is much larger than its two sister districts. It also contains many multi-unit structures.

Residents said they like living in the neighborhood because of its historical appeal and its proximity to downtown.

For example, Ms. Mullaney, who lives in a condominium, said she's always loved going to visit the city's commercial heart.

As a child, she said she enjoyed shopping at the former Kresge's and taking music lessons at the old St. Gabriel's School of Music, which is now home to Abby's House.

Ms. Mullaney said many of her jobs were also located downtown.

For example, she worked at a nursing home on Fruit Street, a pizza parlor on Highland Street, and served as a dormitory directory at Becker College.

“I've always been drawn by the city,” said Ms. Mullaney, co-president of the Crown Hill Neighborhood Association.

Though they love their neighborhood, residents recognize there are still problems.

Crime is an issue and there are many properties in poor condition. Three neighborhood homes, for example, have been listed on Preservation Worcester's annual Most Endangered Structures list.

“Everything's not golden,” Ms. Mullaney said.

Timothy J. McGourthy, the city's chief development officer, said that the districts are one way of preserving the historical uniqueness found in each city neighborhood.

He noted, however, that it could be a burden on some property owners who might not have the financial resources to modify their structures to meet historical standards. But he added that the City Council is considering providing those individuals with some funding help.

Mr. McGourthy said city officials would probably welcome the creation of more districts, but that's all dependent on the support of neighbors who would be impacted by such actions.